Anders wrote:I agree with the last post, that Pearl Jam are better as a hard rock band, than whatever it is they are when they go for the punkish numbers. I think that’s why the response to S/T was so positive, because there were several real rock songs on it. An ideal Pearl Jam has a mix between hard rock songs, midtempo songs, and a few slower songs.
But does it sound like Ten/Vs era? No.
Really? It could be from that period easily i reckon.
I can’t hear it being from any other time.
But it’s great if you can.
Release_Me wrote:By the way, for someone who isn't an audiophile, is the quality of audio on that video they just put up markedly better than the leak?
It should be.
I could be mistaken, but I believe YouTube plays higher quality audio if the video is played in higher quality (e.g. 720p, 1080p).
I agree that the leak was fairly poor, but with Quick Escape the difference doesn't seem that big. Bigger with SBWM, and I expect with a couple of other songs.
I'm hearing definitely 'more' in the itunes version. So there's definitely an improvement in sound. How noticeable? Well I'll leave that to the experts!
Birds in Hell wrote:Having gone back to this one a few more times, I think it's only OK.
I wouldn't say it's a song I particularly enjoy while listening to, at least not at this point.
Perhaps I'll feel differently once I can hear it without the transcode murk, but I'm a little doubtful.
For the record, I don't feel any differently about it.
This is still one of the album's less engaging songs for me.
Maybe this kind of sound just isn't what I'm interested in hearing from the band at this point.
I agree; I think this song is an excellent example of what it is, but it's not one of my most exciting ("Alright", "Buckle Up" and "River Cross" are those for me)
On iTunes it says the version they have is an Apple Digital Master.
We are committed to delivering music as the artists and sound engineers intend it to be heard. We worked with many of the top mastering studios in the world to come up with workflows for creating the best possible masters for the Apple ecosystem—whether for streaming from Apple Music or downloads from the iTunes Store. Here is some history and information that guided those decisions as well as instructions for the use of the Apple mastering tools.
I really like this song, but there are anywhere from 2-5 songs I like on the album more. But this kind of super heavy pearl jam was never the stuff I like the most (I do love the outro jam, though). Plus, unlike a lot of you, I really enjoyed the faster/heavier songs from the last few albums, so i needed a song like quick escape less than some others
Gave it another listen, and there's just one thing I'd like slightly adjusted - that super cool riff that kicks in somewhere in the middle of the verses (obviously Stone's) needs more air time. Should have been pushed out in the front more.
This song exposes a longtime inefficiency in the Pearl Jam style market: the upper mid-tempo rocker.
We've had plenty of the now trademark punky tracks (WWS, Fixer, Got Some, Father's Son, MYM, Getaway) and the jog-in-place would-be anthems (Gone, ATW, Infallible), but nothing that hits that sweet spot of ferocious guitars and underlying loose groove. something that feels like a living, breathing organism coming to kick your ass.
The kind of track they used to specialize in during their heyday: Once, Breath, Alone, Glorified G, Rats, Not For You, Corduroy, I Got Shit, Red Mosquito, Faithfull, Insignificance, Ghost, Half Full... and then the returns begin to diminish. Severed Hand is the type of song that normally fits this template but the thin, defanged production does it a disservice. All of a sudden, that rocking mid-tempo groove completely dries up.
Which is why Quick Escape is at once a breath of fresh air and a nod to a skill you forgot they had in their arsenal. Like when late period Michael Jordan would all of a sudden accelerate and dunk in someone's face. Just to show he still had it.
